The most recent Roger Federer v. Rafael Nadal Australian Open Final highlighted why tennis is better and more riveting NOW than it has been in any previous generation. And the women's final between the Williams sisters contributed yet another token to the immense treasures of our current generation of champions. Growing up in the 90s with the big 4 Americans dominating the game (Sampras, Agassi, Courier, and Chang) I assumed (unimaginatively) that the pinnacle of tennis would never again employ the verve and charisma of the McEnroe, Borg, and Connors generation. Now we are almost a decade and a half into the Platinum Age of Tennis that started with Federer's first major at Wimbledon in 2003. Federer and Nadal are considered the two greatest tennis players in the history of the sport--and perhaps the best individual rivalry throughout all sport. And recently, as Serena Williams became the most decorated tennis player in the Open Era, she has earned a reputation for being the Greatest Athlete Ever. A tennis player. The - Greatest - Athlete - Ever. We used to think that honor went to decathletes and the like, but it's a tribute to tennis's holistic athletic demands, both mental and physical.
So if you're not watching tennis...you should be.
And if you have (or have not) watched the gentleman's 2017 Australian Open Final, I think you will enjoy this nice tribute article by Rowan Ricardo Phillips.
from The Paris Review
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